'We are all like a family here’: Qualitative insights on the role of youth cafés in supporting the health and well-being of young people

Abstract

While there have been many positive policy developments for young people in Ireland over recent decades – including increased access to and participation in education – issues related to the well-being of young people are matters of public concern. Ireland has one of the highest rates of youth suicide in the European Union (PISA, 2015), while recent research demonstrated that one in three young people had elevated levels of emotional distress (Dooley and Fitzgerald, 2013). Research with young people shows that the social resources available to them are critical in terms of their ability to negotiate the challenges of modern life. In particular, supportive relationships with at least ‘one good adult’ remain critical to the well-being and transitions of young people (Dooley and Fitzgerald, 2013; Thomson, 2007). Community based supports and services are widely accepted as having a key role to play in ensuring the safe and healthy development of young people (DCYA, 2015).